Groton : Registrars busy with registration problems

Groton - In a small room at the Groton Human Services Department, Democratic Registrar David Rose on Tuesday joined with Deputy Registrar Vicki Rossman and soon-to-be Republican Registrar Kristen Venditti to answer phone calls.

Lots of phone calls.

Rose said the trio had fielded hundreds of calls from poll workers and individuals alike, trying to figure out why someone is not registered or checking to see where they should go to vote.

"Some think they're registered and they're not. Some have moved and have not registered in the new town," Rose said. "Some people moved and never registered."

He said there has been a lot of problems with people who said they filled out forms with the state Department of Motor Vehicles but apparently never got the forms to the towns where they vote.

One man showed up in the office to complain he was "dumped" from the registration list after more than 30 years of voting in Groton. Rose checked the paperwork and it turned out the man was registered in Ledyard.

The one thing Rose said he could do for people who were not registered in town was allow them to fill out a form and vote in the presidential election. Otherwise, he said, he hands out a registration form so the person is registered for next year.